


New Florida

by FishLeather



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-19
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-11-16 06:34:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11248305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FishLeather/pseuds/FishLeather
Summary: Just trying new stuff with this story, it's gonna be *really* purple.





	New Florida

I stood in the bodega, trying to decipher the list of autocar stops. There was a warm breeze, only confirmable from the paper strips barely twitching on the half broken fan in the corner. The walls were cinder block, with a chipping coat of cream paint. The color, the veinlike cracks, the water damage, they all gave the humid store the facade of being part of me. It could have been, I felt rooted to my spot behind the counter. I tried again to understand the list. I had to catch an autocar, soon. I didn't even hear the door open, but the waft of hot air from the entrance caught my attention.

I refolded the list, and put it in my pocket before speaking. "Ey. Need anything?"

The customer nodded vaguely without looking at me, then continued towards the back of the store. He looked like a regular. Physical shorts and shoes, and a digital shirt with an animated wave pattern projected around him in the air. 

"Yo, it's locked back there. Just go back out front and swing around the side."

The customer disappeared behind a shelf,I heard the back door open and close. Alone with my thoughts again, I checked my watch, but the screen stubbornly remained unresponsive. Stuck at 88:88. How long has it been 88:88? I should have asked him what time it is. I should have asked him where the nearest autocar stop was. The boss surely should've been back by now. I should've gotten clocked out hours ago. But, if I left my post to go home, my pay would be forfeit.

\--

How long has it been? I can hear machinery outside, is that the nightly sweep? I leaned back against the wall and decided to try sleeping. As long as my feet were on the floor behind the counter, technically I hadn't left my post. A few scarce minutes later my watch suddenly sounded an alarm, promptly scaring the shit out of me. The display was still broken, but I could guess it wanted me to go home, as I was out after curfew. I tapped the face of the watch, expecting no response. Instead, the alarm sounded again, but cut off abruptly. The tinny sound was not unusual for my second or third hand watch.

"Citizen. Return to your apartment. Citizen. Return to your-"

"Yeah, I can't." I said to myself flatly. Surprisingly it detected the interruption and started over.

"Citizen-"

"Shut down." I commanded my noisy watch.  
The display faded, showing a ghost of burn-in, but nothing more. At least the noise was gone. I settled back against the wall, and managed to fall asleep quickly after- well... during... such a long shift.


End file.
